Tesla CEO Elon Musk demonstrated a long-promised robot taxi with two doors shaped like gull wings on October 10.
This was reported by Reuters.
The robotaxi, called Cybercab, has no steering wheel or pedals. According to Musk, mass production of this model will begin in 2026, and such a car will cost $30 thousand.
Also, at the presentation, the American billionaire presented a robot van that can carry up to 20 people.
Musk himself is unsure how quickly Tesla will be able to ramp up production of the robot axis, eliminate inevitable regulatory obstacles, or implement a business plan to beat competitors such as Waymo.
Analysts and industry experts say that developing a robotaxi could take years, mainly to ensure safety and reliability. They note that such cars are more prone to accidents, as this technology makes it difficult to respond to scenarios such as bad weather, complex intersections, and pedestrian behavior.
However, Musk said at the presentation that autopilot cars can be ten times safer than human drivers, and autonomous vehicles will last five or even ten times longer.
Musk plans to launch a fleet of self-driving Tesla taxis called Cybercabs, which passengers can contact through an app. Private Tesla owners can also earn money on the app by listing their cars as robocabs.
According to Musk, the use of Cybercabs will eventually cost 20 cents per mile (one and a half kilometers), and charging will be inductive and will not require outlets. The operation of robocabs will be even cheaper – 5 cents per mile.
Musk said that the vehicles will rely on artificial intelligence and cameras rather than on hardware standards among robotaxis, such as lidar, which experts consider questionable from both a technical and regulatory point of view.
Thursday’s event at the Warner Bros. studio near Los Angeles, California, was titled “We the Robot,” an apparent reference to the science fiction stories of American author Isaac Asimov. This echos Musk’s insistence that Tesla “should be seen as an artificial intelligence robotics company,” not an automaker.
